US1696534A

US1696534A - Toy electric-railway control device

Info

Publication number: US1696534A
Application number: US122355A
Authority: US
Inventors: Aaron H Gill
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1926-07-14
Filing date: 1926-07-14
Publication date: 1928-12-25
Anticipated expiration: 1945-12-25

Description

Dec. 25, 1928. 1,696,534

A. H. GILL TOY ELECTRIC RAILWAY CONTROL DEVICE Filed July 14, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I J T Q R n F%\ 5 i E X P M J 1/ W Dec. 25, 1928. 1,696,534

A. H. GILL TOY ELECTRIC RAILWAY CONTROL DEVICE Filed July 14, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Afghan W a; W,

l j? 4 i I l f i -51 4 H15 x I f i w a? 3 4 8 fi/znn JK' oa .35 positive side thereof.

. AARON i. er'tn or wnszr HAVEN, connnc'rrcn'r.

' an ELECTRIC-RAILWAY con'raor. imvrcn- Application area July 14,

Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of a toy electric-railway control-system constructed in accordance with my invention; I Fig. 2 is'a view in front elevation of the 15 electrically-operated semaphore signal tower,

- the train-control switch thereof being shown in its circuit-closing position;

Fig. 3 is a view in edge elevation of the ramp-switch; Fig. 4 is a top or Fig. 5.is a transverse sectional view on-the line 5 5 of Fig. 45 and, in addition, indi-- cating the contact-shoe of an electric engine by broken lines. I 15 This invention relates to an improvement in toys, and particularly toy electric-railway control-devices.v The obj tion is to provide a control-device by means of which one toy train may be automatically at stopped or started bythe movement of an-. other train past a given point.

My invention consists "in a toy electricrailway control-system having certain details of construction and combinations of 25 parts as will be hereinafter described and particularly recited in the claims.

In the embodiment of my invention herein J shown, the usual t rec-rail track iseinployed, consisting of dutside rails -+1O and a .80 third? or power-rail 11, arranged in the form of a return loop.. Preferably, the rails 10 10 are connected to the negative side 0 a the source of electrical energy, such" as a battery 12, while the rail 11 is connected tothe plan At any suitable point I insert in the track a section having a third rail 13 insulated from the main othirdfrail 11 and connecte by wires 14 and. 1l? to one contact 15 of a 40 train-control switch 16, the complementary contact 17 of which is connected to the positive side of the battery 12 by means of

wires

18 and 18*. The contacts 15 and 17 are adapted to be electrically connected by 45 means of a metal ring 19 insulated from and carried by a semaphore-operatihg rod 20, which is connected at itsupper end to an oscillating semaphore-arm 21 pivoted, as at v 22, to a vertical standard 23 projecting up- 60 ward from a base 24. At its lower end the semaphore-operating rod carries an armature 25 moving axially within a circuit-chos- 3 ing solenoid 26 and a circuit breaking solenoid 27. One terminal of each of the sole- 55 noid's 26 and 27 is connected by wires 28 an v 28 to the negative side ofthe battery 12.

view thereof; and" ect of this inven-l 1926. sum in; 1232,3155.

Tss PATE T orrlc For the. purpose of'energi'zing the

solenoids

26 and 27. and thus operating the .semat 01 switch 16 as re phore 21 and train-cop r guired, I employ wha I shall, for conven -

switches

29 and 30,.

lence, designate as ramp located between the rails 10 and over the.

third rail 11, the ramp -switch '29 being connectedby

wires

31 and 31*--to.the circuit-' closing solenoid 26, while the ramp-switch is connected to the circuit-breaking solenoid 27

bywires

32 and 32 Each of the corresponding ramp-

switches

29 and 30 consists ofa ryingon opposite sides of its'longitudinal frame-plate 33 carcenter two bars 34'and 35 of insulating maltwo bars the frameterial. Between these form a longitudinal plate 33. is folded to channel 36 adapting the ramp-switch as a whole to be set between the rails 1010 a"nd over the third rail 11, asclearly shown in Fig. 5. Integral or, connected with the frame-plate 33 is'a contact-strip on top of the bar 35. Similarly located on the bar 34 is a complementary contact-stri 38 provided at one end with a binding- 0st 39 to which circuit-wires may be attac ed. As thus constructed, the ramp-switches. are adapted to have the contact-shoe 40 of the .toy electric engine (shown by broken lines in Fig. 5) close the electric gap between the contact-strips 37 1' over the ramp-switch, and thus closes tlzig circuit through either of the solenoids or 27, depending upon which of the two ramp-

switches

29 and 30 is engaged by the engine contact-shoe. I

- -Having fully described.

its mode of operation. p For convenience of description, it may be presumed that there are two toy trains op erating on the. track-system shown in Fig. 1, and that the track-switch is appropriately set to permit a train to travel in the direction indicated by the arrows, and thatoneengine A is at restwith its contact-shoe 1O inengagement with-the insulating third rail section'133 which at this time is uncharged, owing to the fact that the train-control switch 16 is in its circuit-breaking position, and furtherv that a second engine B is moving as indicated by the arrows. As the electric engine ramp-switch 29, its shoe 4.0 will close the cirthereof, and thus cause a current to flow 37 located and 38 as the engine passes the nature of my d invention," I shall now proceed to describe .J l I B asses over the d cuit' between the contact-strips 37 and 3.8

by, when the engine B section 13 to from the third rail 11 through the wires 31 and 81, thence through the circuit-closing solenoid 26.

wires

28 and 28, whereby the said solenoid 26 is energized, with the eiiect of lifting the armature 25 and hence throw ing the semaphore-arm 21 into its depressed position and bringing the ring 19 in position to connect the complementary contacts 15 and 17 and thus complete a circuit from the battery 12 to the third rail section 13, which will now become energized and cause the electric train A stalled thcreover to start up and move out o't the looped part of the rail system. As this train A moves forward its shoe 10 will bridge the gap between the contact-

strips

37 and 38 of the ramp-switch 30, thus causing a current to low from the third rail 11 through

wires

32, 32, circuitopening solenoid 27, wires 28- and 28 ith the efiect of energizing the said circuit-open- This will result in a downing solenoid 27.

ward draft upon the armature and cause the semaphore-arm 21 to more into its danger-indicating position and, at the same time, cause the ring 19 of the train-control switch 16 to move out of engagement with the complementary contacts 15 and 17 and thus break the circuit thercthrough. The breaking of the circuit as just described Will de-energize the third-rail section 13, wherereaches the said thirdrail section now de-energized, it will fail to receive any current and hence come to a stop over it. The train B will remain at rest until another engine again passes over the ramp-switch 29, so as to cause the third-rail again be energized.

It will be understood that the number and relative positions of the ramp-switches may be varied and that the track arrangement forms no part of my invention.

It will also be understood that by the use of the term, solenoid herein I wish to include all variations of electro-magnets.

I claim: v

1. A toy electric-railway control-device, comprising a visual indicating-signal; a standard therefor; a solenoid for moving said signal into its danger-indicating position; a second solenoid for moving the said signal into its clear-track-indicating position and arranged axially in line with the first-mentioned solenoid; an armature axially arsaid signal into its ranged within and extending between both of said solenoids; a signal operating rod axially in line with and forming an extension of said armature; a movable switch-member connected to the said armature for operation thereby; and a coniplementary stationary swi tell-member carried by the said standard; whereby a train-control circuit may be made or broken concurrently with the operation of said visual indicating-signal.

2. A toy electric-railway control-device, comprising a pivotal semaphore-arm; a standard therefor; a solenoid for moving said semaphore-arm into its danger-indicating position; a second solenoid for moving the said sei aphorc-arm into its clear-track indicating position and arranged axially in line with the first-mentioned solenoid; an armature axially *arranged within and extending between both of said solenoids; a seinaphore-operating rod axially in line with and forming extension of said armature; a movable switch-member connected to the said armature for operation thereby; and a complementary stationary switch-member carried by the said standard; whereby a traincontrol circuit may be made or broken concurrently with the operation of the said semaphore-arm.

3. A toy electric-railway control-device, comprising a visual indicatingsignal; a standard therefor; a solenoid for moving danger-indicating position; a second solenoid for moving signal into its clear-track-indicating position and arranged axially in line with the firstmentioned solenoid; an armature axially arranged within and extending-between both of said solenoids; a signal-operating rod axially in line with'and' forming an extension' of said armature; a stationary'switchmember carried by said standard; a movable switch-member having sliding engagement With the said stationary switch-member and arranged axlally in line'wit-h and connected to the'said armature for operation thereby; whereby a train-control circuit may be made or brokenconcurrentlywith the operation of said visual indicating-signal.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

AARON H. GILL.

the said